Pretty fingers
by Shimmergurl39
Summary: There were many women in the world who would be thrilled to suddenly find a man as handsome as Fuji Shusuke spending some time with them. Fuyuumi Haruka was not one of them. FujixOc
1. Chapter 1

**Pretty fingers**

**Chapter 1**

It was very rare for her to have any visitors at her club, since it wasn't that much popular, because her school was famous for tennis. It was Monday morning, a new day to start something fresh; she wondered what she could paint on this day. Classes began to start after the bell had rung; she wasn't particularly paying any attention to the teachers, just staring at them, making it look like she was listening. (A/N: Well we sometimes do that, because we we sometimes get bored with listening.)

After a few hours, the bell rang; it was time for their lunch.

She grabbed her lunch with her and went to the rooftop, but before she could do that, she needed to wait for her friends from the other sections. She sighed, and now their daily routine started. First, they went to the comfort room to powder their nose, comb their hair ten times or more, put lip-gloss on their lips, if needed, and this would take 10 minutes.

Out of all her friends, she was the plain one. She didn't like putting powder on her face, or any other make-up they used, probably because her face was sensitive or she likes her face to be natural. After waiting for them to finish whatever they were doing, they decided to go eat lunch on the rooftop, because it was more spacious rather than the cafeteria.

"Haruka, why didn't you tell us that you're Ryoma's cousin?" Hikari asked. She had a crush on Ryoma ever since she first saw him at the tennis courts.

"Simple." Her expression was completely emotionless. "Because I don't like to be the center of attention!"

Yumi and Nadeshiko chuckled. Yumi was her childhood friend ever since they were six years old; she can be very bossy at times, a shopaholic, and has many experiences with love. She also had many boyfriends—ex-boyfriends, to be exact. Right now she was single and didn't want to have any relationship with boys, but Haruka felt that she was not going to keep that promise. This was Yumi they were talking about: if she broke up with her boyfriend and rested for about three days, she'll already have to find another target as her next boyfriend.

"I think it would be best for her too!" Nadeshiko said, smiling. She's also her friend but they've only been friends for 2 years to be exact. She's very smart, and can be good with anything,just not sports or anything that involves music and can be very sensitive when things don't go the way she plans, she'll just cry all day about it.

"Nadeshiko, why don't you join the art club?" Hikari asked. "Since Haruka's the only member on the art club, I'll bet she'll really get lonely out there."

"Gomenasai!" Nadeshiko said, closing her eyes, trying to force a smile. "But I have already so many things to do with my club, that I couldn't really possibly join another one."

"That's okay." Haruka's expression was unfazed. "I like it when I'm alone, that way I can concentrate."

The truth is, she would really like some companies, but nobody goes to the art club except her, she just couldn't tell it directly to her friends, not after what she did when they were younger, she was so childish back then, so childish that people thought that she's annoying, her friends too have also said that, and after that she changed, she matured already, and became independent.

It was dismissal, and it was time for clubs, she grabbed her bag and quickly went to the art room. She took out a key from her pocket and opened the door. The walls were covered with so many paintings, (A/N: You can already guess who made them.) some were still on easel not finished, and some were lying on the table since she ran out of space on the walls. She placed her bag on the floor beside the table and took out all her materials needed for paintings like brushes, acrylic paints and other basic stuff.

She sat on her chair; on her front was an unfinished canvass with an easel. It was a painting of a garden filled with many different types of flowers, with matching bleachers and a fountain. She grabbed a case where she puts all of her brushes and chose a flat brush, and started stroking the brush on the right side of the canvass, then after a few strokes, she can already see that it was beginning to look like a flower. Satisfied with her work, she began to smile a little and continue her latest artwork yet.

"Oi, Ryoma, where are you going?" Eiji asked, looking suspicious at the boy.

"It's getting a bit noisy in here." His voice was so cool, that the girls screamed. "I'm going somewhere." With that he walked away.

"Ne, where's Ochibi going?" Eiji asked, turning to Momo, who grinned.

"He's probably going to the art room." Momo puts his hands on his back. It had become a daily routine for his kouhai to go there, not like he's complaining but still… "Maybe he's going to visit her."

"Her?" Eiji asked, suddenly interested to know. His mind filled with lots of girls that could be Ryoma's type, or maybe one of his aquantances. From the look on his face, it looked like he wanted to meet this girl quickly; it showed on his face."Is it someone we know?"

Momo was about to say something when he was grabbed by his senpai and started to run towards the Art club. Meanwhile at Ryoma, he decided to visit his cousin again at the Art room. He wasn't very close to her at all, in fact, both of them just acted cold towards each other, well maybe. He opens the door to the room and found Haruka concentrating on her paintings, and not trying to look who's at the door, because she already knows who's there.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my cousin Ryoma," she teased. Picking the color of scarlet on her palette, she looked at the boy. She can see in his face that her teasing irritated the boy, making her smile. "What's wrong? Attacked again by your fan girls?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He went to the sofa. With arms on his back, his head landed on the pillow and decided to take a nap. "Let me just sleep here."

_This darned cousin of mine, he's just here to take a nap_, she thought, angered by his presence. _He really doesn't care about me. He only cares about himself, just like Uncle (Nanjiroh)._

Back to Eiji and Momo , the two of them were panting so hard because of their running, until finally they caught their breaths and stopped at a room. (A/N:By now,you already know what room is this.)

"Oi, Eiji-senpai, maybe you're thinking about Ryoma and Haruka being together," Momo said, still panting.

"So her name's Haruka eh?" Eiji grinned, scratching his chin.

"Senpai, you have to listen to me—"

But Eiji wasn't really listening to him. In fact he was very interested to know what will happen between the so-called-couple which Eiji thought that the two of them mistaken for a couple. The sudden bang on the door made Haruka mixing of colors interrupt.

"Yes?" was Haruka's reply with a stoic smile, and was still not looking at the boys but her painting. From her view, she could really see anyone and tell who they are even if her view's just semi-side.

Ryoma muttered something but he was already half-asleep.

"Ne, are you two together?" Eiji hopped like a bunny. He was very interested in knowing what Haruka's relationship to Ryoma was, but instead she just laughed, which made Eiji confused, while Momo was nervously sweatdropping.

"Me? Go out with that bastard? No way! Not in a million years!" she continued painting, but called Momo. "Momo, since you're the one who knows our relationship, why don't you explain it to him while I go finish this painting."

"H-hai!" Momo stuttered, then quickly grabbed his senpai out of the room and began to explain the details that her relationship with Ryoma are just cousins. Eiji's face flared red in embarrassment as soon as he heard the words Momo had uttered. He flew back into the art room, as fast as an eagle, stopping by Haruka's spacious side and saying "I'm sorry!" over and over again. She waved him off impatiently.

"It's okay," she said, reloading the brush with red paint. "Just don't interrupt me with my painting."

Eiji scanned the painting. "Suggoi, Haruka-chan, I didn't know you were so talented."

Haruka ignored the comment. She had been hearing that every day since she first stepped into the art room with her friends visiting her or other people who want to buy her works. There was a knock on the door. Eiji and Momo turned around to see Oishi and Fuji, standing in front of the door.

"Where were you Eiji? We still have practice this afternoon!"Oishi's eyes roamed over to Haruka. She was still not looking at the door. "Ah, gomenasai for interrupting!" He bowed.

"Ah! We totally forgot all about the new schedule." Momo said. Fuji went to the brunette haired girl and eyed at the painting. His lips curved into a smile. "Your artworks are really amazing!"

She didn't reply to his comment; she just continued to paint, as if no one is there in the room. Then she heard Momo yanking Ryoma out of the sofa, and he was complaining about it, while Oishi and Eiji were just talking outside the art room. Suddenly she let her paintbrush fall down on the floor, which made all of them stop what they're doing.

"Don't you regulars have something to do right now?" she asked, irritated by the noise. "I'm certain when you get down there, Tezuka-kun will give you 300 laps around the school."

"Ne, how did you know?" Eiji asked.

"That's none of your business." Her tone was cold as ice. "I suggest you all leave right now," she closed her eyes and looked at Momo. "Please bring my cousin also."

And Haruka was right. Tezuka gave them 300 laps to run around the whole school for being late. Haruka peaked at the windows, only to see them running around, and couldn't help but laugh. "That's what they get if they are late."

_They better not mess with me while I'm painting again, or else..._ she turned around and fixed her eyes on her unfinished painting. What she didn't know was while she was looking at the tennis courts, a pair of blue eyes stared at her in amusement.

_She sure has pretty fingers_ was the last thing that he thought while running around the whole court along with the others.


	2. Chapter 2

**Pretty fingers**

**Chapter 2**

"Why not?" Eiji pouted. He was inviting Haruka to watch their next tennis match. The girl popped a vein - she was asked so many times that it was driving her crazy.

"I already told you I don't want to go and even if I did what business do I have going there?" she told him. She was running away from him - apparently he was attracting way too much attention. Some students' eyed both of them with curious faces. She could feel the heat of her face rising. It was obvious that she doesn't really want attention, she just want to draw something that could make her calm.

"Where are you going Haruka-chan?" Eiji asked, still following her. Quickly, she unlocked the door to the art room. With one last look at Eiji, she gave him a curt nod.

" I'm really sorry Eiji-senpai but I just can't go to your tennis match."

Their conversation ended after she banged the door lightly. Eiji gave up inviting Haruka, so he went by the tennis courts with a sad look on his face, and probably complain to the mother hen of Seigaku tennis club.

Haruka looked at the door, trying to find Eiji. _Thank goodness, he's not there_, she closed the door again. As soon as she closed the door, she let herself slide down to the floor. _Things still haven't changed after all. _She thought.

Eiji, who just went to the changing room, sighed. The rest of his teammates were looking at him with confused faces. " Haruka's doesn't want to watch." he dragged his body next to the locker. Momo, who was standing beside the corner of the room, patted him. "Haruka-chan can be sometimes like that senpai."

Ryoma who was sitting next to Kaidoh, pulled his cap down and gave a frown. "She can be quite stubborn sometimes, senpai." he glanced at the tennis courts. "Well I better get going." he stood up and left the room. Somehow, seeing Eiji being down made Fuji pat him on the shoulder. Eiji looked at the tensai, while he did the same.

"Then if you can't convince her to watch, then maybe I can try." Fuji offered. Eiji wasn't sure if that's the right thing to do, it might even make things worse. Sure, Fuji is his best friend, but knowing him, he'll do anything to get what he wants. Images of Fuji threatening Haruka popped into his head.A tiny bead of sweat dropped on his face. "I don't think that's necessary Fujiko."

"Hmm? Why not?" he asked innocently.

Eiji avoided his question and changed the subject. "Ah, we need to go now, Fuji." Quickly, he walked down to the court as fast as he can, not letting the tensai speak, even for a second. After leaving the tensai all alone on the changing room, he formed an evil smirk and thought of ways on how he could threaten the girl. Bribe. Maybe threaten. His thoughts were interrupted when Tezuka called him and it was time for his next match.

"I'm coming." he replied, and left the changing room. His smile never faded on his face.

Somewhere around the courts of Seishun Gakuen, a boy wearing the Seigaku regular's t-shirt passed the ball to the other side with a grace of a queen. This somehow caught the attention of some fan girls looking at their windows, screaming: "Kyaa! Fuji-senpai kakkoi!"

Haruka, who was near the window, looked at the tensai too. She had to admit that the boy's cute but that doesn't mean that she's going to like him. She grabs a pencil and a paper, trying to doodle the tensai while waiting for the next teacher to come. As soon as she started, it's like no one can stop her or she has a world of her own, just the pencil, paper and herself. After finishing some details, she erased the other unnecessary lines.

"Excuse me, Haruka?" a female voice entered to the door, calling for her. It was Nadeshiko carrying some folders on her hand. " May I speak to you for a moment?".

Quickly, she hid the paper somewhere around her books and left the classroom. But the book didn't hold the paper stronger, since she put it at the end of the page, so it flew away from the window, down to the tennis courts where the paper hit Fuji on the face.

"Fujiko, Daijoubou?" Eiji ran to the tensai. Fuji took out the paper on his face and looked at it for a second. "What's that?" Eiji asked.

"Someone drew a picture of me playing tennis." Fuji gave a smile at the drawing, although it wasn't very hardly done, considering that there was still some of the unnecessary lines that Haruka left un-erased. "Really? Let me see." Eiji ran towards the tensai and looked at the drawing. "It's good, even if it's still a scratch." Suddenly he thought of something. "Do you think Haruka-chan made this?"

"Hmm?" Fuji's head slightly moved on the side and looked at the paper carefully. On the side of the paper, there was a signature written in cursive that says: Fuyuumi Haruka. "You guessed right Eiji."

"Then you better give her that right away." Eiji winked, forgetting what they talked about earlier. Fuji nodded and placed it in his bag. _Looks like I'll be seeing her again._ What Eiji didn't know is that Fuji has something on his sleeve for her.

"Good morning Haruka-senpai." some lowerclassmens' bowed to her. She showed her appreciation by nodding.

"It seems that you're well known here." a strange, but familiar voice was heard behind her. She turns around only to find his cousin's senpai, Fuji Syuusuke. She didn't have time to talk to him, so she just walk, trying to ignore the tensai. But Fuji isn't the type to be ignored, so he grabbed her hand, making her stop and look at him. Fuji didn't frown or anything, but smiled. "How cruel, here I am talking to you and yet you don't show your appreciation to your senpai."

It's true that Haruka's a year younger than Fuji, heck she didn't even care. She slapped her hands away from his. "What do you want?" she cuts right to the chase.

"First things first." he started. "I haven't even introduce myself right? I'm Fuji Syuusuke, and now that's finished, I would like to ask if this belongs to you." He brought out the drawing that she drew earlier from his bag. _How the heck did he got that?_ her eyes twitched.

"Thank y-" suddenly he raised his hands with the paper she drew, not letting her reach it. "Now, now, I'm not the type of guy to give it to unless there's something you can offer for me."

"What do you want?" her tone was very harsh and cold. Fuji's smile widened. "I just want to take some pictures of your artwork. Your paintings fascinate me from the moment I stepped into your art room." he showed his camera to her.

"Was that a compliment coming from the tensai?" she couldn't help but smirk. Fuji chuckled. "What do you think?"

"Thank you for your comment, but I still got a long way to go." her words just like Echizen. "If you want to take pictures, you can take them later after dismissal." She turned around, leaving the tensai alone. She stopped her steps as soon as she remembered that he had tennis practice today, after dismissal. "I changed my mind. Let's do it later after you eat lunch."

"Sounds fair enough."

(Lunch Period)

Fuji smiled and walked together with the female. The two didn't talk nor even glanced at each other. Meanwhile, Yumi,walking with piles of paper on her hand, noticed Haruka walking with Fuji. _Wait, Haruka and Fuji?_ she thought. She suddenly bumped Nadeshiko, who was right beside her all along, carrying some stack of papers, which were now on the floor, scattered.

Nadeshiko glared. "Thank you." She sarcastically said.

"I'm so sorry, Nadeshiko. Here let me help you." She tried to collect some of the papers, Nadeshiko as well, did the same.

Tezuka, who was around the corner, noticed Nadeshiko trying to pick up some pieces of paper on the floor. Slowly, he kneeled down on the floor, trying to help Nadeshiko and Yumi. "Arigatou, Tezuka-kun." she stood up along with the papers and Tezuka.

"You should be more careful next time." he gave the rest of the papers to her then left. She watched as he left her until he was gone by her sight. Yumi noticed that Nadeshiko's been staring at him for so long that it jumped into conclusions that Nadeshiko might have a crush on the Captain of the Tennis club

"You like him, don't you?" she teased.

"No, I don't." she quickly said, making Yumi more suspicious.

"Whatever you say." She said, handing her some of the papers. Both of them walked to the principal's office for approval for some activities that were educational for the students, and have fun. The sounds of a pen scribbling were only heard at the principal's office.

Back to Haruka and Fuji, the two were standing together at the art club. She pulls out a silver key and unlocks the door, revealing some of the paintings and other statues or products. Fuji examined one of her artworks, it was the painting that she did last time when they were here in her art room. "How many days did you work on this?" he asked, still browsing her work.

"About 1 or 2 weeks, cause I was busy studying for the exams." she rearranged the acrylic colors near her desk, trying to be neat and clean for the moment.

"I see." he said. While taking some pictures of her artworks, she examined at the boy tensai clicking some buttons at his camera. "You're really good with cameras." she muttered, making him look into her eyes and smiled. "So you've noticed. Just like Echizen, you're a good observer."

"Betsuni." she waved the words he said to her. " My eyes are different from his. He's so dense because he can't even know that girl, Ryuzaki-san, has a crush on him. What an idiot."

Fuji couldn't help but chuckle. "You have a point there." he went to her side. Haruka felt uneasy as he went to her side, it was very unusual for a guy to be like this to her. "So when can I have it back?" her question made Fuji raise an eyebrow. "The drawing." she reminded.

"Ah, here you go."She was caught off guard when their hands suddenly met. After giving it back, his hands still holding hers. He just holds at it for a moment, looking at it. "You sure have pretty fingers." Then, very slowly, he starts tracing over the skin with his point finger.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked. Her face had a tint of pink on her cheeks. When it comes to situations like this, she's not very good to hide her feelings or emotions. Fuji stepped back a little, trying to give her some space, which she really needed.

Then he looks at her with those blue eyes of his, and now she felt like she couldn't bring herself to move. Her skin was fizzing, his hand was leaving a delicious sensation wherever it goes. She can already feel tiny prickles at the back of her neck, which made her shiver. With enough strength, she whipped his hand out of his, again.

"Got you." he chuckled, making Haruka angry. She pushed Fuji outside of her doors and locked it. She can still hear Fuji muttering something at the door. "You know Eiji really wants you to go to our match badly." he told her.

"I already know that." she opens the door, and tried to hide her blushing face with an unfazed one.

"Why at least give it a try? maybe you'll like it." Fuji tried to convince her with a smile. "I-I'll think about it." she stuttered. Fuji's smile widened. "Guess I'll see you at the tennis match."

"If, I can." with one last look at each other, Fuji turned to the other side and left her. All of a sudden, she was feeling quite uneasy, cause her chest won't stop beating so fast.

After dismissal, the girls suddenly met up at the front gate. Haruka was the last one to be waited, which only took them 2-3 minutes. Her face was sweating a lot which made Yumi ask.

"Why are you so sweaty?"

Haruka dabbed her hankerchief into her sweaty face. "I forgot my books, luckily I thought of that before going home." Suddenly her book fell to the ground, opening the page where she bookmarked her drawing of Fuji playing tennis.

"Huh? What's that?" Hikari asked, looking down.

Haruka kneeled on the floor, trying to collect her things. "F-Fuji!" she hugged it tightly on her chest, trying to hide it from her friends, who was giving a suspicious look

"Where's the honorific? Are you by any chance close to him?

"Ne Haruka, somehow I'm beginning to think that you like Fuji-senpai." Hikari teased. Haruka blushed. "It's not what you think."

"Come to think of it, I did see you two earlier together." Nadeshiko added, making Haruka's face redder. Haruka suddenly walked away. "You're not helping Nadeshiko!" she yelled, making Nadeshiko chuckle."Come on let's go. We need to study for the next weeks exam right?" she left, trying to hide her embarrassment from her friends.

Her friends followed her, chuckling along the way. Meanwhile, the tennis regulars are done for their training. Eiji, somehow noticed Fuji being different.

"Ne, Fuji? Did something happen?" the red-head boy asked while walking. Fuji turned to him. "Why? Is there something wrong?"

"Somehow, I can feel your aura yellow for happiness today." He replied. Fuji smiled. _So he noticed eh?_

"Eiji has a sixth sense? That's also new." Fuji tried to change the subject, and then Inui wrote on his notebook for data. " Eiji has a sixth sense. This is new, must record some more" He muttered.

"Eh Fuji, you're trying to change the subject." Eiji whined, causing Ryoma to chuckle. "Mada Mada Dane, senpai."


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry! I ran out of inspiration _ Out of all the chapters, this is the longest. Feel free to enjoy it, and I hope that this will make up for my late updates.**

* * *

><p>It was morning at Seishun Gakuen, Haruka went to her lockers to change her shoes together with her friends. Haruka noticed that Hikari looked like she was scanning the whole mob, probably looking for someone.<p>

Flap

"Huh?"

She quickly grabbed the thing that fell on the floor from her locker. Yumi nudged at Hikari, who smirked. Eventually, they'd know that this would happen. Every year, Haruka always gets a love letter, sometimes gifts from one of her admirers. It's such a shame that she won't be able to reciprocate her feelings to them.

"Who is it this time?" Hikari asked, feeling a little bit jumpy. Yumi restraint her and told her that it's not something she should do, she means that they're teenagers already, and she's acting so childish. Haruka ignored Yumi's scolding to Hikari and looked at the back of the letter. She was surprised to see the name written on it.

Her eyes widened and couldn't move. Nadeshiko, who noticed this, looked at name written on the letter. She too was shocked. She quickly grabbed the letter away from Haruka and showed it to Yumi and Hikari. Their eyes also widened in shock.

"S-Sh-" Haruka couldn't finish the words.

"No way, Shuu Takano!" Yumi blurted out, making Haruka blush while her friends covered Yumi's mouth. Yes, Haruka had liked that boy for 3 years; it was very much a surprise for her that her long time crush wrote a love letter for her. "What does it say?"

Carefully, she read the letter silently. After a while, she spoke, "He said that he'll wait for me at the Tennis Club at recess time." She could feel her head getting hotter by the second. But no smile came from her after reading the letter. Yumi headlocked her shoulder to Haruka. " He's such a heartless person, making you wait for almost 3 years."

No smile came upon the brunette. Yumi thought that maybe her jokes had gone too far this time. "Hey, I was only joking you know. Don't be upset about it."

"Uhmm, it's not that." She stated. _Why_ _do I feel so unhappy about it? This is what I've been hoping for, for the past three years right? Did I just like him for his looks?_

Certain questions popped into her head. Did she really just like him for who he is? Or just because of his looks?

A pat on the shoulder made Haruka came back to reality. Hikari smiled. "Haruka, if you're unsure about some things, you know you can count on us to listen to what you will have to say, right?"

This made Haruka feel a bit comfortable. She smiled. "Arigatou, Hikari."

The bell had rung, all of them went to their respective classes, as well as Yumi, Nadeshiko, Hikari and Haruka.

_I can't keep on depending anymore. Sooner or later, I need to make my own decisions._

* * *

><p><strong>Recess time: Tennis courts<strong>

_Of all the places he'd chosen, why does it have to be the tennis courts?_

As Haruka walked right to the tennis courts, she could already see her friends hiding somewhere around the bushes. It's something what they usually do when one of them get's a love letter, and then they spy to see what will happen.

"Fuyuumi-chan."

A boy with blonde hair, wearing a white t-shirt and blue shorts looked at her and smiled. _Oh yeah, he's a member of the tennis club._ Haruka remembered, at last. "Takano-san."

"I'm glad you made it. I actually thought that you weren't going to show up." He scratched his head, feeling a bit worried. "Today, we're going to have a practice match. Would you like to watch?" Shuu asked.

Of course, Haruka couldn't say no. Instead, she just nodded. Shuu's smile widened. "Great. After my match, there is something I need to tell you, something important." He said before leaving the girl all alone.

XXXXXXX

"Ne, Fujiko?" Eiji tapped the tensai's arm after looking at a certain girl who appeared at their tennis courts. Apparently, they were jogging for their lives at the courts, and their motivation was one of Inui's new concoctions. Eiji doesn't really want to drink that, but the tensai… well, he's immune to it, so he wants to drink it.

Fuji looked at the red-head. " What is it? You know Tezuka doesn't like for us to be talking while we're in the middle of our training." He reminded.

"Nya! I know," Eiji pouted. "I think I just saw Haruka-chan just now at court C."

"10 seconds to finish." Inui reminded. At the sound of his voice, the regulars were now at their full speed, as if their lives depended on it.

Finally, they were finished. Inui collected his data by scribbling something on his notebook. "54 seconds. You got even this time."

All of the regulars were hardly panting from all of the exhaustion. It was rare for them to have some kind of training, and yet they still

"As a result is, only the regular players stay. It's such a shame that my Inui juice was wasted for today. I even prepared it last night."

"NO ONE WANT'S TO DRINK IT!" They all shouted.

"Now let's begin the practice match." Tezuka declared. "Everyone, let's not lose our guard."

"Hai!" they replied.

Fuji's couldn't help but widen his smile as soon as he heard her name. It was true, she was there. As soon as he got on the courts, his main focus was his match between a second year student. After rallying and smashing so many balls, the game ended. The score ended with Fuji winning.

"Game, Fuji. 6-0." The referee announced.

He took another glance at Haruka, he instantly frowned when he saw one of the tennis club members approached her.

From what he could see, the guy was blushing madly over her. He could see it in his face, even if they were miles apart. The guy was actually from their tennis club; the uniform showed the proof. If Fuji could remember, Hikari said something about a guy that was about to confess to her, and that guy was her long-time crush.

The sight of Haruka being with another guy was somehow ticking him off. But Fuji isn't the type of guy to just make a scene or fight, and if he did, he would be scolded by his buchou and would run laps. Suddenly, his mode went sadistic.

"Ahh! Look out!" Eiji warned Shuu. Too late, he was already hit by the tennis ball. "Daijobou, Shuu?"

Shuu winced at where the ball landed on his head. He stood up. "Mmm, I'm okay."

"Gomen," Fuji suddenly appeared out of nowhere, forwarding next to Eiji. "I hope that doesn't hurt."

He suddenly revealed his sharp eyes that were full of evil or sadistic, making Shuu scared. "N-no, I'm fine Fuji-senpai." He turned to Haruka. "Uhmm, let's just talk later, Fuyuumi-san." With that he escaped and went to court A.

Haruka groaned. She was expecting that the two of them would spend some quality time together, but it was replaced by two regular boys'. It's not like she hated them or anything, she just thinks they were annoying, interrupting her art like that in the first place.

"Haruka-chan, why are you here?" Eiji asked. "Are you here to watch our practice match?"

She didn't answer. She just turned around and walked out. Eiji frowned. "Haruka-chan."

She stopped. "I'm not watching. Someon told me to come here, but I got bored."

Eiji went closer to her. "Haruka-chan's so shy, isn't she?"

"Stop that!" she pushed Eiji away from him. "I need to go now," she looks at the both of them. "don't both of you have somewhere else to be. I think you should resume your practice match, Tezuka's not going to be happy about it."

"Maybe." Fuji grinned.

She glared. "You should watch where you're aiming next time. Although, you may be considered as a genius, your shot earlier wasn't so good at all."

"That's right, Fuji." Eiji reprimanded him. "If this hadn't happen, then you wouldn't have hit Takano-san."

Fuji chuckled. "Gomen, Eiji."

"Oi, are you guy's going to continue or what?" the referee called their attention. Embarassed, Eiji walked together with Fuji at the courts, giving their goodbye's to Haruka, who was now nowhere to be found at the tennis courts.

_Maybe, I let my emotions run too much far this time._

* * *

><p><strong>Lunch Time: Art Club Room<strong>

Haruka looked at her painting with determined eyes, hoping that this artwork would be beautiful enough for people to see. It was a picture of a flower Iris alone with some slight letters on the back, as a background. She decided that the color of it must be purple. The reason for this is because she once saw some Iris, many of them are in different color but her eyes were fascinated at the purple one. After finishing the second coat, she began focusing on the *falls that were slightly not painted well. Reloading her brush, she shaded it until the color was deepened enough. She was, indeed in her own world again.

"Haruka-chan!" a sudden voice called her, making her jump. She looked at who was at the door. It was Fuji with Yumi, and Hikari. She wanted to glare at her friends, who had known last time that there was something going on between Fuji and him, she continued stroking her brush. "What is it that you want?"

"Uhmm, Fuji-san want's to talk to you about something so we directed him towards you, since he can't find you in the classroom." Hikari explained.

"So… I guess we'll just leave you two lovebirds alone." She waved her hands, and the two of them were gone in an instant.

Closing the door, Fuji went to the brunette and stared at her for a while, waiting for a response. She couldn't concentrate on her work whenever there are people staring at her with their eyes.( Fuji's eyes are not an exemption to this.) She would have expected him to say something but she just doesn't want to have a conversation with the tensai, since there's nothing to talk or confront about.

"Fine. You can stay here if you want to." She let herself give in to the silence. "But please be careful, or else."

"Hai."

Fuji grabbed a seat and put's it right next to her. Now this, isn't something she expects from the tensai. She have heard of him always acting nice to the girls, sometimes making them fall in love with him, and many more. She was not going to let that happen to her.

"Your artworks are really amazing, ne?" Fuji said, smiling.

She already knows that. She's been getting a lot of comments about her artwork getting better and better, and she's honored. But there was a part of her that wishes that someone could judge her painting with such criticism that could make her strive harder on her painting. She couldn't think of anyone else but Tezuka, since she feels that she could match her expectations to him. She was actually going to ask her cousin, but after what happened last time, she decided to not let him be his judge. It will only make her irritate.

**FLASHBACK:**

"Ryoma." She called, making the said boy look up to where she was pointing. It was a painting of the blue sky with clouds forming like cumulus. It was the most very basic for her. She was very happy that he was giving some time and attention to him, at least. "What do you think?"

"It's okay, I guess."

She was waiting for another response. "That's it?"

"What else do you want me to say?"

"Can you just elaborate?"

"I'm already tired and I said that you still lot's more to work on."

Ughh!

**End of flashback**

"When did you take lessons?" her thoughts were interrupted by the brunette. She got worried all of a sudden, if she was spacing out too much, maybe her painting would be quite different from what she expect so much. Luckily it didn't. She was just stroking on the same pattern of the standards all over again until it was a shade of dark purple. Sighing in relief quietly, she turned her head to him. She felt like answering all of his questions while painting her best canvass…yet.

"I didn't."

"Eh? How did you become so talented?"

Haruka thought about it carefully. She didn't even realize it at all. She was still a kid back then, full of determination in her eyes, and always trying hard to make her drawings perfect, if not. Then she would always show it to her parents and make her feel proud of her work. "I guess it's a natural talent."

"Suggoi." Haruka could feel his impression of her getting higher.

Yumi, and the rest of her friends, who were hiding, felt happy that she was being sociable with someone who she did not know well. Back then, if they can still remember, she was supposed to be the friendliest of them all. But a part of her changed with being mature right now, and they feel like blaming themselves for it, even though Haruka said that it was all her fault.

_It's my fault. If only I had become mature enough, then people would stop saying that I'm annoying._

But the past is past, and they all knew that. What matter's the most is the present right?

_You're in your middle school now. Make your life enjoyable or make most of it memorable._

Haruka can still hear her mother's advice, ringing to her head. It hadn't been so long since she'd confronted this to her mom.

The bell had finally rung, making all of them stop what they're doing. After so many strokes of paint, the empty canvass has now become a beautiful Iris flower. She smiled. Standing up, she thanked Fuji for complimenting her artwork, even though it was still a simple one, it was more than enough for her… for now.

"Arigatou Fuji-kun." She bowed. "I'll try to do my best and work on my goals."

Fuji wasn't sure how did one simple compliment turned out like this. Standing up, he smiled. "I'm glad to be able to be of help to you."

From that, the two acquaintances became friends.

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><p><strong>What do you think? Please review! :)<strong>


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